BAE Systems to develop new Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy
BAE Systems will develop and demonstrate a next-generation, dual band Fiber-Optic Towed Decoy (FOTD) for the US Navy under a $36.7 million contract announced on 28 October.
The FOTD will provide self-protection capabilities for aircraft - including fighters, bombers and transports - against advanced threats using radio-frequency countermeasures.
The Dual Band Decoy development work is intended to expand the capabilities of the AN/ALE-55 FOTD.
Tom McCarthy, Dual Band Decoy program director at BAE Systems, said: ‘ALE-55 FOTD is a reliable, high-powered jamming system with years of mission success on the F/A-18E/F and extensive flight-testing on a variety of aircraft. Under this new Dual Band Decoy contract, our focus will be building upon the ALE-55’s proven performance in order to defeat the threats of tomorrow.’
The decoy lures threat missiles away from the aircraft, and combines techniques that disrupt adversaries’ radar, preventing missile launch from occurring. The Dual Band Decoy will be able to interface with onboard electronic warfare equipment, but it can also operate independently.
You may also like
More from Digital Battlespace
-
![British Army’s ISR commander warns of new challenges facing defence forces]()
British Army’s ISR commander warns of new challenges facing defence forces
The race between using ISR and resisting the use of it by enemies has accelerated, leading to new methods and systems being required, according to the British Army’s lead on its ISR efforts.
-
![Push for greater use of open source data, says senior British officer]()
Push for greater use of open source data, says senior British officer
The huge amount of open source data available may not carry the weight of secret sources but it does carry substantial value, according to speakers at Defence IQ C4ISR Global conference in London.
-
![Jacobs wins MoD cyber-security support contract]()
Jacobs wins MoD cyber-security support contract
The deal with Jacobs will run until November 2027 and will see the company deliver a range of digital and IT specialist professional services to Defence Digital.
-
![Orbit upgrades two multi-purpose terminals and carries out land testing]()
Orbit upgrades two multi-purpose terminals and carries out land testing
The communications company has upgraded two of its Beyond Line-of-Sight Multi-Purpose Terminals (MBTs) by introducing advancements in satellite communication technology and AI-driven maintenance capabilities.
-
![Norway to receive maritime surveillance satellite data from Kongsberg]()
Norway to receive maritime surveillance satellite data from Kongsberg
Norway's Kongsberg Defence and Aerospace has announced that its subsidiary Kongsberg NanoAvionics will produce three satellites and launch them in 2025.
-
![First South Korean 425 Project observation satellite launched]()
First South Korean 425 Project observation satellite launched
In 2015, South Korea named a consortium of Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Hanwha Systems, along with Thales Alenia Space providing the SAR payload derived from its HE-R1000 product, as preferred bidder to develop new Korea 425 Project reconnaissance satellites.
